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Facile and efficient one-pot solvothermal and microwave-assisted synthesis of stable colloidal solutions of MFe2O4 spinel magnetic nanoparticles

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Abstract

Well-defined synthesis conditions of high quality MFe2O4 (M = Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Zn, and Cu) spinel ferrite magnetic nanoparticles, with diameters below 10 nm, have been described based on facile and efficient one-pot solvothermal or microwave-assisted heating procedures. Both methods are reproducible and scalable and allow forming concentrated stable colloidal solutions in polar solvents, but microwave-assisted heating allows reducing 15 times the required annealing time and leads to an enhanced monodispersity of the nanoparticles. Non-agglomerated nanoparticles dispersions have been achieved using a simple one-pot approach where a single compound, triethyleneglycol, behaves at the same time as solvent and capping ligand. A narrow nanoparticle size distribution and high quality crystallinity have been achieved through selected nucleation and growth conditions. High resolution transmission electron microscopy images and electron energy loss spectroscopy analysis confirm the expected structure and composition and show that similar crystal faceting has been formed in both synthetic approaches. The spinel nanoparticles behave as ferrimagnets with a high saturation magnetization and are superparamagnetic at room temperature. The influence of synthesis route on phase purity and unconventional magnetic properties is discussed in some particular cases such as CuFe2O4, CoFe2O4, and ZnFe2O4.

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Acknowledgments

The authors would like to thank Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN) (MAT2008-01022), Consolider NANOSELECT (CSD2007-00041), Generalitat de Catalunya (2009 SGR 770 and Xarmae) and European Union (EFECTS and NESPA).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Departament de Química, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Campus de la UAB, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain

    Eduardo Solano, Leonardo Perez-Mirabet, Ramón Yañez & Josep Ros

  2. Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona, ICMAB-CSIC, Campus de la UAB, 08193, Bellaterra, Spain

    Fernando Martinez-Julian, Roger Guzmán, Jordi Arbiol, Teresa Puig, Xavier Obradors, Alberto Pomar & Susagna Ricart

  3. Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avançats (ICREA), 08019, Barcelona, Spain

    Jordi Arbiol

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  1. Eduardo Solano
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  9. Alberto Pomar
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Correspondence to Susagna Ricart.

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Solano, E., Perez-Mirabet, L., Martinez-Julian, F. et al. Facile and efficient one-pot solvothermal and microwave-assisted synthesis of stable colloidal solutions of MFe2O4 spinel magnetic nanoparticles. J Nanopart Res 14, 1034 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11051-012-1034-y

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